It has been a busy few months here. We tend to jam-pack our short Wisconsin summer with events which are scheduled months in advance. For the most part, all of this is very fun, but we have to also be careful to schedule some breathing space in here and there to prevent mid-summer burnout and exhaustion. Earlier this week I was feeling particularly low on energy, so I napped for two hours after work. It helped.
Also, it has been a particularly hot and humid summer, which is unusual. We usually have some hot weather in August, but the rest of the summer tends to be fairly cool. I think this has added to the “tired” or “overextended” feeling the last month or so.
After our Saturday morning 4th ed. D&D game and weekly shopping yesterday, Michael and I had an early dinner and headed to Irish Fest in Milwaukee for an evening of great music. We saw and heard music groups that I hadn’t had the opportunity to listen to– namely, Cherish the Ladies and Young Dubliners. We also watched Slide’s show and part of Gaelic Storm’s performance. I really enjoyed Slide and thought their show was all a great performance should be. I’ve learned that I don’t like Gaelic Storm’s shows nearly as much as I like their music. The crowds are too crazy/frenzied/fanboyish and it’s just too loud. I love live music, but I don’t go for the crowd/group throng experience. I want to have a good seat (not standing on bleachers and stomping) and I want to be able to see the performance, hear the music (not be deafened by it), and I want the crowd to show their appreciation at moderate levels that do not interfere with my enjoyment of the show.
I also felt kind of sorry for the performers that played to half-empty houses while people packed into Gaelic Storm’s show. We left the crowd watching Gaelic Storm after a couple of songs and wandered across the park, eventually ending up at the Young Dubliners show at the Celtic Rock stage. We heard their last three or four songs and it was a much more enjoyable audience experience in my opinion. There was a small throng of participatory fans around the front of the stage, but they didn’t interfere with other fans’ ability to watch and enjoy the show. It probably helped that the seats were only half full. Sometimes it pays to go see the band that draws less of a crowd during “main act” stage times.